How The 5-5-5 Decluttering Rule Can Help You Declutter More In Less Time
We all want to declutter faster with less effort and time put in…
But is this truly possible when it seems impossible and out of reach?
Yes! It’s absolutely possible using the 5-5-5 Decluttering rule!
By the end of this post, you’ll know what this rule is and be able to implement it into your decluttering sessions for amazing results.
Here is the 5-5-5 Decluttering rule and how it can help you declutter more in less time!
What Is The 5-5-5 Decluttering Rule?
Like most things overwhelming, breaking things down to smaller pieces is the best way to make progress and reduce the intimidation of a large task…
The 5-5-5 Decluttering Rule is perfect for breaking down your decluttering sessions and making them easier to get through…
Popularized by The Secret Slob, The 5-5-5 Decluttering or cleaning rule is based on breaking down your task into shorter segments anchored by a timer.
Here’s what you need to follow:
- Grab your phone and set a timer for 25 minutes
- Choose 5 zones or areas in a room or part of your home. (For example: your bedroom zones could be drawers, under-bed, bureaus, nightstands, and loose clothing/laundry)
- Only take 5 minutes to declutter each zone or area
Try not to think to deeply about the different zones you want to declutter, but do keep in mind you want to niche down and not create broad zones…
For example, don’t make your bedroom closet a zone as that’s its own area to break down using this rule in itself.
Stick to smaller, easy-to-manage areas or even categories…
Instead of smaller areas in one room, you could choose to break it down into 5 categories like:
- Clothes
- Paper
- Sentimental items
- Miscellaneous items
- Trash
Whichever way you decide to split up your 5 zones, areas, or categories, choose a way that works best for you!
How The 5-5-5 Decluttering Rule Can Help You Declutter More In Less Time
Helps Narrow Your Focus
This rule really helps you to stop seeing the big mess and really narrow down to smaller areas…
As you take 5 minutes for each zone, it helps you to keep you focused solely on this smaller area, which helps reduce the time it takes to make decisions and allows you to think more clearly.
This is also perfect for helping you to simply get started, as one of the biggest hurdles with decluttering is taking those first steps.
Gives You Structure To Follow
When it comes to anything challenging, structure always helps to give your boundaries and makes things less chaotic.
When you set a timer for 25 minutes, your brain immediately knows your task is finite.
As with anything we may dread doing, knowing it won’t take long can signal to our brains that it’s easy and that we can accomplish it.
Setting these timers is like little guardrails that remind your brain that what you’re doing is quick and easy and won’t take up much of your valuable time, compared to decluttering without even knowing when you’ll stop.
Builds Your Confidence
As mentioned as above, setting 5 minute timers for each zone allows you to declutter quickly and make quicker decisions…
This quick turnaround time can build your confidence and really give you a sense of accomplishment as you go through each zone.
With each zone completed, you feel less stress and more excitement!
This excitement fuels your desire to keep going and thus helps you make more progress.
Reduces Overwhelm & Decision Fatigue
Lastly, the 5-5-5 decluttering rule significantly reduces your decision fatigue and, due to the timed nature, forces you to release your attachment and make quicker decisions.
This helps you eliminate the inner perfectionist and simply take action without judgement.
Even if you don’t know what to do with certain items, using a “maybe” pile is perfectly fine to review items later.
You don’t want to just be decluttering items just because the timer is up; it’s more about helping you stay focused and make quick, thoughtful progress instead of staying stagnant and getting nothing done.
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